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Lake Tahoe Wedding Photographer

Giovanna + Max | Chateau At Incline Winter Wedding

Giovanna and Max Kilgore’s winter wonderland wedding at St. Francis of Assisi in Incline Village on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe was an exquisite culmination of months of planning and a little luck. The ethereal snow swathing not only the venue but also the entire surrounding areas made for an almost dreamlike ceremony celebrating this gorgeous couple. This divine duo shared the most beautiful vows framed by the colossal, frosted pine trees in the background. I can’t imagine two more deserving people to be celebrated in such a magnificent manner.

This incredible love story has humble beginnings, which are always the best. Giovanna had a late photography class her first day of college at the University of Nevada, Reno and her roommate picked her up with some friends in tow. Max, one of the friends, decided to stick with the group as they made a 10 pm trip to Wal-Mart because that’s what you do on a Monday night. His shaggy blonde hair caught Giovanna’s attention along with commenting on her bright pink toenail polish (the direct route to a girl’s heart) and the rest is history!

The spark that first ignited from friendship made it to the 5-year mark when the couple decided an attempted hike up Diamond Peak would be perfect on their anniversary. Max was overly quiet and Giovanna thought it resulted from her minor complaints about the hike. The northern California girl decided talking to their dog, Kodiak, and singing to herself would make for a better pass of time. Max finally found the perfect spot for lunch on a scenic, granite overlook. Giovanna was raring to get going when they finished eating but when Max called her back; he was waiting on one knee! This was the beginning of melding two remarkable families into one.

Leading up to the big day, the couple along with their devoted parents, had some difficult family hardships to deal with plus a major winter snowstorm that threatened the whole celebration. They forged ahead and with some heavenly intervention, the weather was perfect for a hilarious photo shoot outside the gorgeous venue of The Chateau at Incline Village. Little did the guests at cocktail hour know the wedding party was going to provide entertainment by continually falling into many feet of snow repeatedly! Not ones to give up and let the “snow sinkage saga” bring them down, I was able to capture amazing moments of this rustic, winter wedding party.

The reception that followed was a cozy contradiction to the sea of white outside. Evergreen and berries complimented the savory meal as guests enjoyed live music by the amazing Jeff Jones. The tunes were kicking and so was the dancing especially during Giovanna’s dance with her dad, Jim, who displayed some serious dance moves throughout the reception. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when the bride shared an intimate dance with her grandpa, paying tribute to her late grandma. This loving couple concluded their dreamlike, winter wonderland wedding with a serenade of “That’s Amore” by none other than the women of the bride’s family.

All in all, this was a perfect day for a deserving couple. The world appeared to stop in time just to allow Max and Giovanna to celebrate their great love for one another. There wasn’t a time that I didn’t catch one without a twinkle in their eye, looking at their new spouse. The adoration these two have for one another is multiplied many times over and is a magnification of the affection received by their precious families. I wish them nothing but the greatest of happiness in their new life together as husband and wife.